It has moved 272 people, including four to Lithuania and six to Belgium. Just 17 out of 28 EU states have volunteered any places.

Diplomats are angered because they warned – and it has proven to be the case – that the scheme could not work because of migrants’ resolute determination to reach only Germany and have no wish to be sent to the poorer east.

A migrant walks past a graffiti mural representing Steve Jobs by British artist Banksy in the ?New Jungle? camp

Mr Juncker was defiant at a press conference in Brussels, and said he was not going to “give up” over an issue that risks a “serious crisis of credibility” for the EU.

“It’s not that the Commission hasn’t delivered. But a number of member states have failed to fully deliver, or do what needs to be done.

“I’m getting a little tired myself of constantly finding that the European Commission and the European Union are criticised for the fact that not has enough been done. A number of member states find it difficult apparently to implement decisions that they took themselves. It’s simply not on that a decision of this type is not subsequently executed. I’m not going to give up over that.”

"We cannot have a situation where those that come to Europe then decide rather arrogantly for themselves where they want to live. That is not possible. That is absolutely not on.

“It is not the refugees responsible for dividing up refugees - it is the member states. No refugee has an innate right to decide or refuse to be sent to a particular country."

Mr Juncker also urged nations to stop reintroducing border controls to halt the migrant flow, warning it could have “unimaginable” consequences for the economy by halting the flow of trade and ultimately destroying the single currency.

Thousands of refugees walk across the Hungarian border into Austria Photo: Getty Images

"If anybody wants to kill off Schengen, then ultimately what they are going to do is do away with the single market as well. And that's going to lead to unemployment issues in Europe. Less Schengen means less employment, less economic growth."

He added that refugees must be allowed to work or "all sorts of unpleasant things" will happen.

While he did not directly refer to them, a series of attacks on women in Cologne and other European cities have raised profound questions about how hundreds of thousands of young Middle Eastern men will be integrated into western Europe.

“If people are sitting at home for months and years, idle and not working, they are never going to be able to become a fully valued member of Europe society. That is important if we want to protect ourselves from all sorts of unpleasant things.

“We need a system that allows people to go out and work rather than preventing them from pursuing an occupation.”